


Imagine Another World

by letsgooutintherain



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Gen, Season/Series 05, Trickster Style, how to get a unified Winchester front, or rather Gabriel style
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:47:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21936205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letsgooutintherain/pseuds/letsgooutintherain
Summary: The one where Gabriel decides to get on the prevent the Apocalypse train a little earlier.In other words: Imagine another world. A world where the prophecy wasn't about a righteous man. A world where all they needed was the right bloodline. Imagine a world where the crossroads demon didn't refuse Sam, when he asked to switch places.
Kudos: 14





	Imagine Another World

"We need to talk," a voice drawled from half a step next to Dean. He whirled around, hand already on his gun and then froze. The Trickster lounged on a car he had walked past that he would have sworn was empty a second ago. 

"You!" Dean said, but then didn't know how to proceed. He didn't have a stake on him. All he knew was that he wanted to rip the prick apart for the way he had made Sam suffer through endless Tuesdays.

"Not happy to see me? I'm hurt," the Trickster said, "Lucky for you, and the rest of the world, I don't particularly care whether you want to see me or not. I like this world. I like to keep it that way. So I'm going to do you and your brother a favor, free of charge."

"What kind of favor?" Dean asked warily. Because on the one hand, this was the Trickster and he'd like nothing better than ganking him. On the other hand, could he really afford to pass up a chance for help against Lucifer?

The trickster leaned forward with a grin. 

"Imagine another world," he said. And there was something in his voice. Something compelling. "Imagine a world where the prophecy wasn't about a righteous man. A world where all they needed was the right bloodline. Imagine a world where the crossroads demon didn't refuse Sam when he asked to switch places with you, where they thought they had better chances with the Boy King.

Imagine coming to on that crossroad, no sign of Sam anywhere, except for the grinning demon who takes great pleasure in telling you how you got out of hell. You weren't down there long enough to break. Not even long enough for them to get really creative. Just long enough to know what Sam is now going through and that it will only get worse."

Dean felt his breathing pick up and he clenched his fists, but the Trickster just grinned at him.

"Of course the first thing you do is try to make another deal, but the demon refuses. They have their Boy King now. Why would they want you?

You threaten the demon with the knife, but he doesn't give in. You kill him and because you are desperate, you summon another one and try again. Of course it doesn't work. Someone high up in the food chain seems to want Sam down there. After the second demon they no longer answer your summons.

Now what? You know this is your fault. Your fault because if you had just let Sam go when he died he would still be gone, but at least he wouldn't be in hell. Your little brother in the hands of Alistair. And it is your fault because you didn't see this one coming. Somehow you should have prevented Sam from doing this.

That is where Sam stood a little over a year ago. How does it feel, hm Dean-o?" 

Dean felt sick. The idea of Alistair getting his hands on Sam hurt more than anything he could imagine, and hell had given him quite a lot to work with in that department. He had no trouble seeing it, feeling it, was vaguely aware that the pictures in his head seemed a little too real, but he couldn't fight that ring of truth in it.

He wanted to say something. To shut the Trickster up, to... he didn't know. And then the Trickster continued to talk.

"Let's see how our little scenario continues," he made a humming noise, "Oh yeah right: You start to research. Curse yourself for not being interested in saving yourself from the start, because now you have to waste time going through information Sam had already worked his way through. 

You call Bobby and dive into the books. You keep hitting dead ends and with every day you fail Sam is being tortured for months. Maybe you go for the alcohol, maybe you don't. By the time Ruby shows up you are already caught in a downward spiral of desperation and self-loathing.

Of course she's Ruby, so you kick her out, don't even listen to her. The next time she shows up she has a lead for you and normally you wouldn't bother, but if it had come from anyone but her you might have thought it could be valid. You don't even know where to look for more clues. Bobby hasn't outright said it, but he is out of ideas.

You take the lead. It doesn't pan out, but it's a near thing. Not Ruby's fault. Every few weeks she drops in with another lead. Some sound better than others. Not one pans out, but at least she is still trying. Still giving you something to work with. 

Maybe you sleep with her. It isn't as if you could sink much lower and your self respect has gone out of the window months ago when you woke on that crossroad and other than the alcohol it's one of the few things that can make the hurt stop. But then again, maybe you don't. She saves your ass either way when demons find you. 

And then again when you pass out in your own vomit after drinking one or ten too much.

She tells you Lilith is topside again.

And you want her dead for what she is doing to Sammy. Or maybe, just maybe, she is high enough on the food chain. Maybe you can make her free Sam.

You are not strong enough to fight her. Even at your best and with Sam at your back you wouldn't have stood a chance. Now you are alone and off your game. 

That is when Ruby tells you about the effects of demon blood. Offers to give you the power to take Lilith down. There are side effects, she warns. You didn't grow up with it like Sam did. She says it will hurt, but the power will be the same.

You are not stupid. You know this can only go wrong, but then again what do you have to lose? There is no way you'd leave Sam in the pit. All you have to do is hold on to your humanity long enough to accomplish that. You are strong. You will manage. 

You take the blood. It feels like liquid fire in your body, but it's nothing against hell. You train your powers. You watch your behavior, but as far as you can tell your priorities are still straight.

That's when Sam shows up on your doorstep. 

You could stop it all now. You probably should, but Sam is broken, so very broken, from his time in hell and the angels that show up insist he is going to kill Lilith and stop the Apocalypse. You on the other hand get nothing but disdain from them. You are the one who first made a deal with a demon after all.

You stop on the powers front, but apart from a little pain there are no side effects you can see. And you could kill Lilith for Sam, because Sam looks as if he is slowly crushing under the wight on his shoulders. So you don't tell Sam, because you already know he wouldn't approve and you keep some blood on hand. Just in case. 

You are glad you did, because between Samhain and Alistair and then Alistair again both you and Sam would be dead if you hadn't. Sam is suspicious where your powers come from, but you manage to talk your way out of it.

When it finally does come out Sam begs you to stop. You promise, because it is Sam and you can't say no to him, but then the threat of Lilith becomes even bigger and you can't let Sam go up against her with nothing more than the demon knife that had already failed to work on Alistair. It would be suicide and you will be damned if you lose him, just after you got him back. 

Sam puts you in the panic room for detox. It's hell, pure and simple, but when the door opens, you leave. Lilith has to go and Sam isn't up for the job. 

Naturally Sam tracks you down, begs you, then threatens you. Say's he'll leave you for good if you don't stop. 

You go anyway, because a living Sam you won't see again is still better than no Sam at all. And anyway, who said you would survive Lilith in the first place?

Ruby tells you you need more blood, helps you bleed a demon dry. Somehow you know that you'll cross a line with this. A big one. You hesitate. You take your phone out and, yes, there is a voice mail from Sam. 

He sounds angry and sad at the same time. Says you turned into a monster. That his brother is gone and you are only wearing his face. He tells you he is coming for you and this time you'll be the hunt.

The words hit hard, but they also harden your resolve. It's a suicide mission anyway. It doesn't matter what Sam thinks as long as he's alive and happy.

You drink the blood. You go to the convent and when Sam shows up you allow Ruby to shut the door between you because if he kills you now everything was in vain. You kill Lilith.

And with that you free Lucifer.

You don't know that stranded in a room with no door, Sam took out his phone and called to apologize. You don't know that he told you he was sorry for playing the leaving you card. That he just tried for the strongest leverage he had. He said you were brothers. He said he wouldn't leave no matter what and that you would get through this. Find a way. That he still believed in you, his big brother."

The silence rang louder than the trickster's voice had and it took a second for Dean to blink back to reality. He was shaking. The silence didn't last long.

"You wonder how Sam could have done what he did. How he could dismiss your warnings, the angels, everything and chose to trust a demon. That's how. For the same reasons you would have."

When Dean blinked again the trickster was gone.

* * *

Dean gave himself a minute to just breathe, leaned back against a dirty house front head against the bricks and stared at the starless sky. He wanted a drink. Or preferably two or three. However many it took to make him forget this entire episode. 

Sam at Alistair's mercy. Just thinking about it made Dean want to be sick. Again. When he looked down his hands were shaking. Fuck. 

Hadn't there been a bar a little while back?

But first... Dean closed his eyes. 

He dialled Sam.

**Author's Note:**

> Have a little something for Christmas. Or if you don't celebrate, have a little something, just because.


End file.
